Under these circumstances, I am, no doubt, justified in shaking off my bonds in any way that is open to me; the more particularly as the apostle Paul was once rescued from bondage in a similar way." "He was let down from a window in a basket, was he not ?" "Yes; whilst journeying in the city of Damascus, the governor, whose name was Avetas resolved to arrest him and accordingly placed sentries at all the gates.

Paul, however was permitted to pass through a house, the windows of which overhung the walls of the town, whence, as you say, he was let down in a basket, and escaped."[J] "I trust your reverence will be in much the same position as the apostle, by-and-by--only you will have to dispense with the basket," said Willis.
"I have no wish to remain in bondage longer than is absolutely necessary," said the minister; "but there still seem difficulties in the way." "Yes," said Willis, plying the file with redoubled energy, "this iron gives me more bother than I anticipated; but it is the nature of iron to be hard; however, it will not be long before we are all out of bondage, as your reverence calls it." "May not the warder discover our escape, and raise an alarm in time to retake us ?" inquired the missionary.
"No, I think not," replied the captain; "thanks to our habit of sleeping with our faces to the wall, he will be deceived by the dummies we have placed in the beds, for he always approaches on tip-toe not to awake us." "That may be for the first round; but the second will assuredly disclose our absence." "Very likely," remarked Willis; "he will then go right up to the beds, and shake the dummies by the shoulders, and say, Does your honor not know that it is ten o'clock, and that your breakfast is cooling?
The dummies will, of course, not condescend to reply, and then--but what matters?
By that time we shall have shaken out our top-sail, and pursuit will be out of the question.

I should like to see the craft that will overtake us when once we are a couple of miles ahead." "Poor man!" said the missionary, sighing; "our escape may, perhaps, cost him his place." "No fear of that," said Willis; "perhaps, at first, he will make an attempt to tear his hair, but, as he wears a wig, that will not do much mischief." "I shall, however, leave my purse on the table," said the missionary; "as it is tolerably well filled, that may afford the poor fellow some consolation." "And I shall do the same," said the captain.
"If that does not console him for being deprived of the pleasure of our society, I do not know what will," observed Willis.
"It is now two o'clock," said the captain, feeling his watch, "and the warder goes his first rounds at three; we have therefore just one hour for our preparations." "I have severed one bar," said Willis, "and the other is nearly through at one end, so keep your minds perfectly at ease." "Your patience and equanimity, Willis, does you infinite credit," said the missionary.

"Minister of the Gospel though I be, I fear that I do not possess these qualities to the same extent, for, to confess the truth, I feel an inward yearning to be free, and yet am restless and anxious." "There is no great use in being in a hurry," said the Pilot; "the more haste the less speed, you know." "True; but might not these bars have been sawn through before?
If this had been done, our flight would have been, at least, less precipitate." "You forget, Mr.Wolston," said the captain, "that we did not know till nine o'clock the affair was to come off to-night." "And I could not come any sooner to tell you," remarked the Pilot; "I had the greatest difficulty in the world to get in here; the maritime commissary would not take me into custody." "I forgot to ask you how you contrived to get incarcerated," observed the captain; "you were not a prisoner, and could not plead your parole." "No; and consequently I had to plead something else." "Willis," said the missionary, "the work you are engaged in must be very fatiguing, let me exercise my strength upon the bars for a short time." "If you like, minister, but keep the file well oiled." "What, motive, then, did you urge, Willis ?" inquired Captain Littlestone.
"'Mr.Commissary,' said I, 'one of your frigates captured the English cutter _Nelson_ some time ago, but the capture was not complete.' "'How so ?' inquired the commissary.
"'Because, Mr.Commissary,' said I, 'you did not capture the boatswain, and a British ship without a boatswain is no good; it is like a body without a soul.' "'Is that all you have to tell me ?' said the commissary, looking glum.
"'No,' said I, 'to make the capture complete, you have still to arrest the boatswain, and here he is standing before you--I am the man; but having been detained by family affairs in the Pacific Ocean, I could not surrender myself any sooner.' "'And what do you want me to do with you ?' said he.
"'Why, what you would have done with me had I been on board the _Nelson_, to be sure.' "'What! take you prisoner ?' "'Yes, commissary.' "'You wish me to do so ?' "'Yes, certainly,' "'Is it possible ?' "'Then you refuse to take me into custody, Mr.Commissary ?' said I.
"'Yes, positively,' said he; 'we take prisoners, but we do not accept them when offered.' "'Then you will not allow me to join my captain in his adversity ?' "'Your captain is as great a fool as yourself,' said he; 'he need not have gone to prison unless he liked.' "'That was a matter of taste on his part, Mr.Commissary, but is a matter of duty on mine,'" "This bar is nearly through," whispered the missionary.
"There is no time to be lost," said the captain; "the warder will be round in a quarter of an hour." "Well," continued Willis, "the commissary began to get angry, he rose up, and was about to leave the room, when I placed myself resolutely before him.
"'Sir,' said I, 'one word more--you know the French laws; be good enough to tell me what crime will most surely and most promptly send me to prison.' "'Oh, there are plenty of them,' said he, laughing.
"'Well, commissary,' says I, 'suppose I knock you down here on the spot, will that do ?" "Was that not going a little too far, Willis ?" "What could I do?
The ship was all ready, everybody on board but yourselves, circumstances were pressing, and you know I would have floored him as gently as possible." At this moment the bar yielded.

To the end of a piece of twine, which Willis had rolled round his body, a piece of stone was attached; this he let down till it touched the water, and then the caw of a crow rang through the air.
"That was a very good imitation, Willis," said the captain.